Access to mobile phones in Africa has grown incredibly over the years, with an estimated penetration of close to sixty percent of the population; and it’s only the beginning. Africa Report covers the opening of a New Mobile Lab in South Africa.
Mobile technology-driven business emerged in areas such as advertising, health, education, media and tourism. Despite such a blooming market, different challenges have limited the growth and success of mobile technology entrepreneurs in Africa. This is all set to change on September 15th with the opening, in Pretoria, of a mobile lab, a place incubating innovation and entrepreneurship in mobile apps and content services.
The project is part of the ‘Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy’ initiative funded by the World Bank through its global development financing program, Infodev. The mLab SA becomes the second mobile lab in Africa to be established under the initiative which seeks to encourage innovation and competitiveness among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs ) in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector. The original initiative is based in Nairobi and this year, the incubation center offered six months training to more than twenty developers and mobile technology start up entrepreneurs in the region.
What about the South African version? The MobileLab, dubbed mLab Southern Africa, hopes to grow the mobile ecosystem in the region by supporting entrepreneurs. The core of the project is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and create jobs using the mobile platform as a tool for development. If you are a tech-entrepreneur and would like to access the support services, then don’t wait, apply for membership to the mLab SA.
In addition to accessing financing, as a member of the mobile lab, you stand to gain many other benefits; access to office space at subsidized rates, training and business support services in commercializing one’s mobile applications, great advantages to help you strengthen and grow your business.
And if these were not good enough reasons, being a member will also give you the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and technology experts and receive assistance in testing and marketing your mobile application. The incubation centre will also offer shared services such as reception and internet.
To apply for the mLab SA membership you have three choices: you can apply for free as a community member; or you can apply for Silver or Gold membership, based on a yearly fee and giving you access to extensive support services.
Statistics indicate that majority of internet users in Africa access it through mobile phones; this is only the beginning, and the cheaper the smart phones, the more extensively will this field be growing. Entrepreneurs who develop innovative ways of reaching the ever-growing mobile-phone users will be sure to make impressive returns. If you have an innovative mobile application and a feasible business venture that you would like to scale up, then you definitely need to sign up for the mLab SA membership. Good luck in your venture!
